Ohio officials remark on the passing of former Ohio Senator, John Glenn

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ohio U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D) and Rob Portman (R) along with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, today issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Sen. John Glenn.

Brown first met Glenn when Brown was 16 years old at a dinner for Boy Scouts in Mansfield, Ohio. When Brown was sworn in as a Senator in January 2007, Glenn escorted Brown onto the Senate floor.

“It has been one of the great blessings of my life to get to know John Glenn, and for Connie and me to count on him and Annie as mentors and friends. We loved him, we will miss him and we will continue to draw strength and wisdom from the lessons he shared with us over the years,” Sen. Brown said in a statement sent to the Meigs Independent Press.

Sen. Brown added, “What made John Glenn a great Senator was the same quality that made him a great astronaut and an iconic American hero: he saw enormous untapped potential in the nation he loved and he had faith that America could overcome any challenge. John’s kindness, his intelligence, his courage and his commitment to service set an example that our country needs today more than ever. John’s legacy will live on in the pages of the history books and the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him.”

Sen. Portman had this to say, “John Glenn was an American hero. He flew 149 combat missions in two wars; he was the first American to orbit the Earth, and the longest-serving United States Senator in Ohio history. I’m grateful to have known him, to have partnered with him on projects and legislation in Congress, and to have worked with him and served on his advisory board at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at the Ohio State University. Most recently, I called him to ask him to join me at my swearing in in January for the seat he once held. When I saw Senator Glenn in October at the Glenn School board meeting he was in good humor, gracious, and determined to contribute to Ohio, as always. John and Annie’s marriage and their seven decades of partnership have been a model for Jane and me, and we send our condolences to our friend Annie and all the Glenn family at this difficult time.”

DeWine reflected some of the same sentiments, “Fran and I are deeply saddened by the death of Senator John Glenn.”

DeWine noted Glenn’s iconic history, “There is no doubt – John Glenn always had the ‘Right Stuff.’ He was an American hero. I remember vividly, as a freshman at Yellow Springs High School, sitting in science class and, like so many Americans, listening to the radio and watching on TV later in the day, as John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. That day, he captured the hearts of Americans and guaranteed his place in the history of this country and in the history of the world.”

DeWine also noted the work Glenn did in Washington, D. C. representing the state of Ohio, “As a United States Senator, John Glenn was a workhorse. He wasn’t flashy or looking for TV cameras, but instead, Senator Glenn was interested in the real work of the United States Senate. My first campaign for the U.S. Senate was against Senator Glenn. In spite of a tough campaign that I lost, he was gracious when I was sworn in to Ohio’s other Senate seat two years later. I was proud to serve with him in the Senate for four years, focusing on what we could do together to help Ohio families.”

“No matter where he travelled in the United States, across the world, or even into outer space, Senator Glenn was always proud to call New Concord, Ohio home. He met the love of his life, Annie, there in New Concord when they were toddlers. Their 73-year marriage is an inspiration to us all. Fran and I extend our deepest and sincerest condolences to Mrs. Glenn and to their children and grandchildren,” DeWine said.

Glenn was born July 18, 1921 in Cambridge, Ohio. In addition to being a United States Senator, he was an American aviator, engineer, and astronaut. Glenn was one of the “Mercury Seven” group of military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA to become America’s first astronauts and fly the Project Mercury spacecraft.